Wyoming Businesses Fight to Save Charitable Gambling

Wyoming charitable gaming operators have asked the Legislature’s Select Committee on Gaming (SCG) to consider reversing recent enforcement changes that have curbed charitable raffles and poker. The Wyoming Gaming Commission shut down “Queen of Hearts” raffles and card games. The bans came after lawmakers passed Senate Bill 44 in March.

Bryan Grzegorczyk owns Alf’s Pub in Cheyenne and runs Thankful Thursdays 50/50 raffle fundraiser each week. He said raffles have raised $4.5 million for local nonprofits, such as veterans groups, the Rotary Club, and a group dedicated to the restoration, protection, and management of mule deer populations. Grzegorczyk urged legislators to find a way for this type of charitable gaming to continue.

The law also hurt charity poker games. In March, the owner of The Bull Moose Saloon in Alpine expressed similar concerns. The venue hosts games in a room above the bar on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Under the new law, players must have a “bona fide social relationship,” meaning a prior relationship outside of gambling. Additionally, games can’t be advertised, and any mention of the games on a bar website or signage would violate the law. The law stipulates that businesses can’t charge any fees or rake for running the games, and dealers cannot accept tips. The law says no one is allowed to gain “any remuneration from facilitating, participating in, hosting, or organizing the game, wager, or transaction other than the direct realization of winnings.”